A former Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group, Ken Ashigbe, has admonished Ghanaian journalists and content creators in the media to look beyond politics in their discussions.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Telecommunication Chamber in an interview with Neil Armstrong Mortagbe on the Morning Xpress on Radio XYZ 93.1MHZ observed that although the media have come far with their contribution to national development, there is a lot to do to enrich the discourses held on various media platforms to change the paradigm shift.

He said journalists are quick to invite political persons to every conversation even if they are not the needed resource persons.

“The challenge we have had is that we have allowed the political parties especially the NPP and NDC to dictate in whatever that we do so you find out that most of the time if any issue comes we are quick to just call the political parties so it either we are given them too much power or we focusing too much on them,” he noted.

Mr Ashigbe, the convener for the Media Coalition against Galamsey, continued that journalists have to be creative enough and get the right people for radio or television programmes as a way to change the status quo, adding, “there are issues that we should be holding technocrats and academia’s to account.”

“…We have done a good job but there is a lot more we can do especially considering our situation in Africa and Ghana where our challenge is poverty and all of that. We need to consider all of these things in a touch of holding leadership to our heart,” he added.

His comments were in relation to the commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, which is being hosted by Ghana.

The Director-General of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Madame Irina Bokova, who visited Ghana recently indicated that the decision taken to make Ghana host the 2018 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) stemmed from the country’s mark in her growing democratic credentials.

A number of media practitioners, UN representatives, human rights groups and pro-democracy activists are part of activities to mark the event.

The event, held in Accra from May 2-4, 2018, will bring together civil society groups, the academia, media and representatives of the judiciary.

The day, UN initiative, is set aside for journalists across the globe to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, ponder over the state of press freedom in the world and discuss the way forward to ensuring press independence, utilise opportunities in the career for excellence and also pay tribute to journalists who lost their lives on the job.

The theme of the global event is Keeping Power in Check; Media, Justice and Rule of Law.